What to Do When You’re Stuck in a Rut

Co Founder of Think BOLD, Emma Stewart, recently wrote a piece for Collective Hub on that feeling of being stuck in a rut and how to get out of it…

“Ever feel like you’re sitting in standstill while everyone else seems to be flying by? Probably one of the most frustrating feelings in the world. You’re working as hard as you possibly can, yet you don’t seem to be taking any steps towards that end goal. It’s like you’re one of those old-school cartoon characters madly moving your legs, but not actually going anywhere.

During these times, it’s so easy to lose faith, to question your abilities and wonder if it’s ever going to work out. Here are some simple steps to help get you out of that business rut…

Step back

Take a step back from your business. Move away from the day to day and take a look at what may be holding you back or stopping you from moving forward. Look at your situation as an outsider and jot down some of the hurdles that you face. Can you eliminate those hurdles without major implications on the rest of the business?

Seek advice

Sometimes it’s hard to have an unbiased look at your business, so it’s good to get advice or seek a mentor. They can give you an honest opinion on your situation and help you come up with a plan of attack to see progress again. (At Think BOLD, we have 25+ mentors in all areas of business who are ready to help you and your business grow!)

Be realistic

While I will never encourage anyone to give up on a dream, you do need to be realistic and think long and hard about changes that need to be made. It might be an employee that is having a negative effect on your business or a process that just takes up too much of your time. Sometimes, we need to let things go to move forward. As hard as it can be, these tweaks and changes can be so beneficial to getting you back on track.

Have regular time out

While we can look to other factors as the reason for things not moving forward, quite often it can actually be us! It may be a case of being completely and utterly burnt out. You may feel like you’re working really hard, but in reality, you’re so drained, you’re actually not being as productive as you think you are. It is SO important to take time out, even if it’s just half a day a week, to relax and refocus. It will help you more than you think.

Have a clear vision

Sometimes we can’t move forward because we don’t actually know where we are going. It’s easy to get so caught up in the day to day that you don’t actually realise you’re going nowhere. Make clear goals and targets. I like to look at the big long-term goals and work my way back to monthly and weekly targets. Soon enough, you’ll see that breakthrough you’ve been wishing for!

Create short-term goals

Once your vision is clear, start every morning by setting your goals for the day. Tick them off as you go. This helps to feel like you have accomplished something and can often have a bit of a snowball effect to get you ticking off those bigger goals.”